Apparatus for manufacturing tire casings



SQP@ Mw 3943 E. W. EVANS 329,25

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING TIRE CASINGS Filed July 19, 1940 Patented Sept. 14, 1943 'if y 2,329,258:i

Earl W. Evans, Columbiana, Ohio, assignor to;

National Rubber Machinery Company, Akron, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application July 19, 1940, Serial No. 346,406

1 Claim.

This invention relates to apparatus for manufacturing tire casings, and particularly relates to apparatus for shaping tire casings.

An object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character described which is selfadjusting to shape continuous tire-bands of various diameters.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character described which is self-operating to center tire-bands placed thereon, and to correct any deformed or out of round condition of said bands.

These and other objects of the invention will tion on the chamber. Suitable counter-weighted mechanism IIa may connect between chamber Il.) and lid II to facilitate opening and closing of the lid.

Secured on lid II may be a tire band shaping and sealing member I4 having a central opening Il!a communicating with the interior of the chamber, this member being formed with a conical portion I5 extending inwardly ofthe chamber to a substantial extent, thereby to provide a relatively large conical surface area for engaging upper bead portions of preformed tire-bandsl of various sizes. AXially aligned below sealing member I4 may be a tire band shaping and sealing member I1 carried by a shaft I8, which is reciprocally received through fluid-sealed guide means I9 connected to the bottom of chamber IIJ.

Member I1 is formed with an upwardly converging conical portion 20, in oppositely disposed resubstantially When lid II is closed to engage a tire-band I6 between members YI4 and I1, a sealed space is thereby provided in the chamber I0, radially outwardly of casing I5. The interior of the casing vthus communicates with the atmosphere through the top end of the casing and opening I4a in the member I4, the bottom end of the casing being closed by sealing member I1. Piping 2I mayconneot the interior of chamber I0 with a suitable source of suction (not shown) for evacuating said sealed space.

In the voperation of the apparatus, the 'lid kII is swung open on hinge I2 to permit approximate centering of a preformed tire-band I6 on the conical portion 2D of the shaping and sealing member I1, the latter then being in its lowermost position, shown in full lines in Figure 2.

The lid II is next swung downwardly and locked in sealed relation with chamber Ill, thereby to engage the conical portion I5 of sealing member I4 with the top bead portion of said tire-band. While suction is applied tothe interior of chamber I!! through the piping ZI, by operation of suitable valve means (not shown), the shaft I8 is caused to be urged upwardly to move sealing f member I1 toward the chain-dotted position shown in yFigure 2.

The suction applied to the outer periphery of f the tire-band, combined with the movement of the tire beads toward each other, causes the tireband to be expanded substantially' to the shape shown in chain-dotted lines.

During the initial upwardmovement of member I1, ythe conical portions I5 and 2l] of the respective sealing members cause the tire-band I5 to centeritself on the sealing members, any deformity or out of round condition at the-bead portions of the band being corrected by this movement. The conical portions I5 and .2t also make possible the shaping of a substantially wide range of tire sizes without changes or adjustlation to conical portion I5 of member I4, simii ments inthe apparatus, the various sizes of bands automatically Sealing on cones I5 and 2l) at Various elevations thereon. When the tire is shaped las described, the member I1 `may be lowered before opening lid I I to remove the shaped tire casing from chamber I0. The tire-bands I6 thus expanded to shape are in condition for placing in the usual vulcanizing mold (not shown).

Modifications of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

Tire shaping apparatus comprising a chamber, upper and lower tireshaping and sealing members relatively movable toward and from each other within said chamber, means for relatively moving said members, said members having oppositely disposed conical surfaces engageable with the opposite edges or bead portions of an endless tire-band received between said members to seal the space in said chamber outwardly of the tire-band, the conical surfaces of said upper and lower members each tapering or converging inwardly of said chamber to a substantial ex'- tent and with a substantial degree of taper to.

provide relatively large conical surface areas whereby tire bands of a range of various tire sizes as adapted for mounting on rims of variouS'- EARL W. EVANS. 

